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World’s Largest Floating Solar Facility Operational

The largest floating photovoltaic (PV) solar power facility on earth has been connected to a local power grid in China. Located in the city of Huainan in the Anhui province, the 40-megawatt facility was created by PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow Power Supply. The lake supporting the facility was created by rain after the surrounding land subsided after intensive coal mining operations. Floating solar farms don’t take up valuable land in heavily populated areas, can reduce evaporation from reservoirs and the cooler air at the water’s surface helps to maximize cell performance.

 

BLOG: Why San Diego Pays Some Of Highest Water Rates In State And Country

San Diego has some of the most expensive water in California – and in the country. A typical household in San Diego County pays about $80 a month for water, whereas the national average is less than $40, according to a recent survey by the American Water Works Association. Water in California is more expensive than elsewhere, but San Diego still has among the steepest rates in the state, another recent survey found. The priciest supplies are found in Santa Barbara and other communities along the state’s central coast. By all indications, water prices in San Diego will keep rising.

Updated Results In Lead Testing At San Diego Schools

Samples from five schools show elevated lead levels in drinking water, according to new results released by the San Diego Unified School District. However, the levels do not meet state requirements for action by the district. The results released on Thursday show several samples that are higher than the 5 parts per billion (ppb) used as a minimum for reporting by the City of San Diego Water Department. However, the levels did not reach the 15 ppb necessary to require action by the district under guidelines set in place by the California State Water Resources Control Board.

 

SDCWA Approves Funding For Low-Flow Meter Installation At Skinner Treatment Plant

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California supplies water to the San Diego County Water Authority from MWD’s Skinner treatment plant, and the SDCWA will be funding the installation of a low-flow meter at the Skinner treatment plant. An April 27 SDCWA board action authorized the installation of the low-flow meter for Pipeline 4 and also authorized the expenditure of $2,630,000 which will cover design, equipment acquisition and construction. “It gives us a lot of flexibility to manage our flows,” Jim Fisher, the SDCWA director of operations and maintenance, said.

El Niño is Fizzling

As we see our rainy season come to a close the early signs for next year are getting more muted. Long range forecasting is always a challenge but past El Niño and La Niña events have helped nudge the forecast along. Warmer water in the middle of the Pacific indicate an El Niño event but while things are warm, it’s just not progressing much. This year was saw a few early signs that El Niño may be coming back and the projection was to see a weak to moderate event this Fall into Winter.

EDITORIAL: Trump Pick Would Drain Delta Water Supply

Donald Trump was elected to the drain the swamp, not the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The president’s choice of David Bernhardt to serve as deputy Interior Department secretary would be a disaster for California’s environment and water quality. The former lobbyist for the mammoth, water-sucking Westlands Water District is the last person the state should want representing it on crucial California water issues. Let’s not forget the extent of Trump’s total ignorance of the state’s water predicament.

LA County Voters Could Be Asked to Approve New Tax for Water Projects

A parcel tax, if approved by voters sometime next year, would fund projects to capture more rain and percolate it underground so it can be used to augment drinking water supplies. Last winter was the second wettest winter in California history. But only a fraction of the rain that fell in Los Angeles County is captured to percolate into the ground and recharge aquifers. County Public Works projects capture enough rain water to serve the annual needs 1.5 million residents, but with the right projects, officials think they could double or triple that amount.

EDITORIAL: Now that the State is Paying Attention, Money Will Needed

The DWR Division of Safety of Dams really stepped up their efforts to protect public safety when they sent Paradise Irrigation District a letter a couple of weeks ago. Under the direction of Gov. Brown, the DSOD directed PID in the letter to assess the safety of the Magalia and Paradise reservoir spillways, provide them a plan of action by July, and repair any damage “prior to the next flood season” — without any offer of monetary assistance.

Three Reasons Why Water Markets May Be Damaging the West’s Rivers

I’ve just returned from Ecuador, which is famous among environmentalists across the world because it has “rights of nature” enshrined in its national constitution. Ecuador is the only country in the world to have such a constitutional provision which allows for nature to be a “plaintiff” in a court of law. Further, Ecuadorian activists are very excited that the national parliament has passed a new law to allow citizens to sue the government and corporations for environmental harms.